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Bosses of auction website eBay have launched a crackdown after ruthless touts tried to sell tickets for MICHAEL JACKSON’s memorial service.
Passes for the event at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday (07Jul09) were allocated in an online lottery, with 17,500 lucky fans winning entry.
Within minutes of the draw, heartless touts were attempting to cash in by offering to sell tickets for up to $7,500 (£5,000) on the website.
But eBay bosses were quick to step in and ban users trying to trade Jackson memorial passes on the site.
A spokesman says, "Any tickets for the memorial service will be taken down."

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SANDRA BULLOCK is grateful her mother pushed her into playing sports when she was younger - because it gave a toned body.
The Speed actress was forced to undertake gruelling gymnastics and dance classes by her mum, and admits she hated it at the time.
But she is now glad her mother made her so active as a teenager, because it has given her a lifelong love of fitness.
Bullock tells WENN, "You know what, I have to say, Helga Bullock - a very strict German woman - forced me in to gymnastics and dance at a young age. I hated her for it. I then continued to other athletics and now I’m thankful for what she started, it’s something that I can keep doing… I think it ebbs and flows, I gain 20 pounds, I lose 20 pounds… I’m lucky that my mother instilled something to me, it’s kind of still sticking."

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Officials in Los Angeles are warning MICHAEL JACKSON fans to stay away from the city on the day of the star’s memorial service - because they will face a hardline response from the police if they attempt to get near the event without a ticket.
More than 1.6 million devotees entered the online ballot to attend the ceremony, which will be held at L.A.’s Staples Center on Tuesday (07Jul09) - but only 17,500 were successful.
Police in the area fear thousands of fans will flock to the city on the day of the event in a bid to pay their respects to the late King of Pop.
Officials are urging mourners to stay home and watch the event on television, because there will be no screens erected outside the venue and police plan to set up a cordon around the arena to make sure no one gets anywhere near the building without proper authorisation.
Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell insists Jackson fans will get no sympathy from officers, who fear the crowds could turn violent.
He tells Sky News, "Anybody who does not hold proper credentials, tickets to get in to the event, will not be allowed inside the security zone. So for those who are thinking about coming out and maybe getting a shot to get in, that won’t happen.
"You will be standing in the hot sun on a city street with a lot of other people and you probably will not even be within eyeshot of the Staples." An LAPD source adds to British newspaper the Daily Star, "We may be overwhelmed. Our biggest fear is that it will all turn to violence if things aren’t handled properly. Jackson had some very loyal fans and some very disturbed fans. We don’t want to take any chances." The lucky few who were allocated tickets will be provided with wristbands ahead of the event in a bid to stop touts cashing in.

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MICHAEL JACKSON’s memorial service will be a star-studded spectacular - with STEVIE WONDER, DIANA ROSS, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, and USHER all reportedly set to perform at the event.
The King of Pop once famously told an interviewer he wanted his funeral to be "the greatest show on Earth" - and famous artists are lining up to help fulfil the request.
Fellow Motown legends Ross and Wonder are among entertainers who have been approached to sing at the event, and organisers are said to be considering a stunning finale - with guests joining together to sing Jackson’s 1992 hit Heal the World.
A source tells U.K. tabloid The Sun, "We want to celebrate Michael’s life and make him proud. And the best way to do that is to get artists who he loved and respected to perform his songs.
"There will be around ten performers singing his best hits… There will be one or two surprises. Man in the Mirror is a big moment and the show will end with the singers all joining forces to perform Heal the World, which will be the emotive grand finale."

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Outspoken rock spawn KELLY OSBOURNE has launched a vicious attack on LADY GAGA, insisting the pop sensation "has everything" but an attractive face.
Osbourne, the daughter of former Black Sabbath rocker Ozzy, admits the Poker Face star is talented - but thinks her face isn’t much to boast about.
She rants, "She’s a Butter Face - she has everything ‘but her face’ (is unattractive). She reminds me of Peaches Geldof." And the 24 year old is urging the singer to focus on her music rather than airing her views in the media: "I love Lady GaGa’s tracks but I just wish she’d keep her mouth shut. She talks way too much and has too much attitude. It’s starting to make me go off her."

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HARRY POTTER star DANIEL RADCLIFFE was bullied at school after the film franchise catapulted him into the spotlight.
The 19-year-old actor rose to fame at the age of ten when he was cast in the first big budget wizard movie, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
But children at his school teased Radcliffe because he was so well known following the success of the film - forcing the youngster to toughen up.
He says, "I wasn’t the most popular kid because they wanted to give me a lot of c**p and I wasn’t willing to take it." And Radcliffe recalls one particularly painful incident with an older boy: "I was 14, he was 19. There’d been a bit of animosity between us already and he was being horrible to a kid I knew, so I pulled him off this other bloke and he punched me in the face."

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SNOW PATROL frontman GARY LIGHTBODY has urged the JONAS BROTHERS to start sleeping with women - for the benefit of their fans.
The trio - Kevin, 21, Joe, 19 and 16-year-old Nick - wear promise rings and have famously vowed to not have sex before marriage.
But Run singer Lightbody has blasted the brothers, insisting they are giving out the wrong message to fans - as teenagers will always want to break taboos.
He tells Scottish newspaper the Daily Record, "When a band takes a stand so vehemently and so opposite of my own views I have to speak up, simply as a concerned citizen. This is not about their music, that I won’t comment on. Two words - promise rings? From all our teenage years onwards, we think of sex a lot. You think abstinence is going to cut the mustard? I may know very little, but one thing I’m sure of is that this simply will not work.
"The things we make taboo are the things kids naturally gravitate towards. Swearing, sex, drugs, tattoos, guns, violent games and movies, dark rock music, all these things are in the ‘Do Not Touch’ pile and that is way too tantalising for kids, who are only trying to find out for themselves about life’s adult mysteries.
"When they are only taught abstinence they are really taught nothing at all. We all have a primal, almost ceaseless urge to mate and a bit of silver on one finger isn’t going to stop millions of years of animal evolution."

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JON BON JOVI gave diners in a New York restaurant a special Fourth of July surprise - by standing up to play an impromptu gig.
The Bon Jovi frontman was enjoying a night out at the Blue Parrot Mexican eaterie in East Hampton, New York on Saturday (04Jul09) when he decided to celebrate Independence Day with a song.
The rocker grabbed a guitar and belted out a string of hits to the stunned restaurant-goers.
A source tells New York Post gossip column PageSix, "He just took a guitar off the wall and started playing." Bon Jovi opened with Who Says You Can’t Go Home and followed on with Free Bird.
The source adds, "Then, he tried to get back to his table, but everyone was screaming for him to play one more song." He concluded his short set with Dead or Alive before sitting back down to finish his dinner.

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Hollywood actor JOSH DUHAMEL was delighted to receive a stripper pole as a wedding present - and has spent more time using it than his wife FERGIE.
The couple married in January (09) and the exotic exercise pole was among their gifts from friends and family.
Duhamel admits his partner has refused to use the device since it was installed in their home - but he has been keen to practise his moves.
He tells Women’s Health magazine, "I’ve played on the pole more than she has. If you know my wife, she’s a perfectionist and won’t get on it until she’s good, so she wants to take a class first. So the pole is really just decorative at this point."

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RYAN REYNOLDS was so traumatised by an early onscreen kiss, he vowed to perfect his lip-lock technique to avoid making film-goers squirm.
The actor stars alongside longtime friend Sandra Bullock in The Proposal, and the pair stripped off together to film a sex scene.
Reynolds admits getting intimate with such a close pal on camera was unnerving - but credits a disastrous moment early in his career with his ability to kiss convincingly.
He tells WENN, "It is strange (kissing a friend). A kissing scene in a movie has to be very elegant I think. You know, you don’t want to go at each other like a couple of farm animals. You want to make it nice and palatable for an audience.
"Early in my career I worked with an actress and she kind of went for it a little bit too much. I remember that, and we had to save it for the end… At the end of the scene I was standing in her stomach… and I was a little uncomfortable with that, so that ruined our chemistry. But Sandy and I, we just have this kind of firework thing that we’re really grateful we have."

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HELENA BONHAM CARTER spent months convincing her partner TIM BURTON to cast her in SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET - and even took singing lessons to persuade him.
The Harry Potter actress played Mrs. Lovett alongside Johnny Depp in the 2007 movie, but has blasted reports she only won the role simply because of her relationship with director Burton.
But she insists Burton put her through a gruelling casting process and spent three months auditioning other actresses - while she took singing lessons.
She says, "That was tough. He auditioned other people. He finally said, ‘I think you can sing this part’." I call him Big Chief, Little Patience because he had zero patience with me. I had to get everything in one take.
"Tim’s name for me was Little Squall, Running Mouth, meaning I talk too much. He definitely thinks I should have been in a silent movie because I talk too much."

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HAYDEN PANETTIERE is preparing for girl-on-girl love scenes in the next series of HEROES - her character will reportedly enjoy a smooch with her college roommate.
The 19-year-old actress plays cheerleader Claire Bennet in the hit U.S. show and TV bosses are considering working a lesbian storyline into the upcoming fourth season.
A source tells British newspaper the Daily Star, "It’s just girlie fun at first. But it might progress into something more serious. It depends on how viewers respond."

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DANIEL RADCLIFFE is taking ballet classes in a bid to branch out from his most famous role as bespectacled wizard HARRY POTTER.
The actor is currently shooting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final instalment in the hit franchise, and is already mapping out his career to avoid being typecast in future roles.
He’s making an effort to broaden his skill set, taking twice-weekly classes with his English teacher despite already finishing his formal education.
And he has even signed up for dance lessons - so that he can compete with talented young actors vying for the same movie parts.
Radcliffe tells Esquire magazine, "I’m learning the basics of ballet. The things is, in a few years I’ll be 21, 22, and that’s when all the guys who’ve been at drama school will come out. They’ve been learning dance or singing and all that stuff, and I’m going to need to compete with them because I won’t have Harry Potter as my safety net anymore. I need to make myself as viable a choice for any part as I possibly can."

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Previously unseen film footage of MICHAEL JACKSON performing with his brothers in concert in Africa is to be shown for the first time in New York this month (Jul09).
Jackson 5 in Africa was shot during the band’s trip to Senegal in 1974 and includes a scene in which family patriarch Joe Jackson is honoured with the highest Senegalese honour, the Medal of the Lion.
The documentary footage was due to be released shortly after the African show, but the project was scrapped when investors ran out of cash to fund the film’s promotion.
However, following the pop superstar’s tragic death on 25 June (09), the filmmakers have decided to treat fans to a special viewing of the documentary at Harlem’s National Black Theatre on 14 July (09).
A source tells the New York Post’s gossip column Page Six, "With Michael’s tragic passing, we requested permission to do a public screening, and the owner - an international businessman who wants to remain anonymous - agreed."

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MICHAEL JACKSON was busy working on two music projects before his untimely death - including one album of classical compositions.
Fans were eagerly waiting the King of Pop’s live comeback with a 50-date residency at London’s O2 Arena when he suffered a fatal cardiac arrest on 25 June (09).
Jackson’s greatest hits have since been celebrated posthumously, re-entering music charts all over the world.
But the singer dreamed of releasing new material, and was busy thinking up not only a pop project, but an instrumental album.
In May (09), Jackson contacted composer David Michael Frank, who he collaborated with on a Sammy Davis Jr. tribute in 1989, for help orchestrating his ambitious ideas.
Frank visited the Thriller star in his Los Angeles home and was stunned by his knowledge of classical music.
He says, "He had two demos of two pieces he’d written, but they weren’t complete. For one of them, he had a whole section of it done in his head. He had not recorded it. He hummed it to me as I sat at the keyboard in his pool house and we figured out the chords - I guess this recording I made is the only copy that exists of this music." And just weeks before his death, Jackson had telephoned Frank to ask how the piece was coming along.
Frank recalls, "He mentioned more instrumental music of his he wanted to record, including one jazz piece. I hope one day his family will decide to record this music as a tribute and show the world the depth of his artistry."

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The stress of a $400 million (£266 million) debt claimed MICHAEL JACKSON’s life, according to former THE INCREDIBLE HULK star LOU FERRIGNO.
The Thriller hitmaker passed away last month (25Jun09) after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Los Angeles home, amid rumours he was battling an addiction to prescription drugs.
The bodybuilder had been hired to train the King Of Pop for his 50-date residency, due to kick off in London later this month (Jul09).
Ferrigno believes the superstar only agreed to the shows to pay off his staggering debt - and it was the stress of his financial woes, and not drugs, that eventually took his life.
The buff actor insists there was no sign of drug abuse when he visited the singer to help him get fit.
He explains, "He was under tremendous stress, so much I think it killed him. The debts put a huge strain on him. In the past Michael backed out of live shows but this time he was under the gun. He was $400 million in debt." And Ferrigno maintains the 50 year old was remarkably fit: "He showed me his dance moves and they were awesome. He was still in great shape dance-wise. He was still as good as 15 years ago."

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MICHAEL JACKSON is continuing to make history after his death - the KING OF POP has scored the top album and 13 hit songs on the U.K. music charts.
Jackson’s death on 25 June (09) has prompted a surge in his sales all over the world, setting a new record in the U.K. as 13 of his tracks dominate the Top 40 singles chart.
Although he was beaten to poll position by Cascada’s Evacuate The Dancefloor, the star still managed to score second place with his 1988 track, Man In The Mirror, and his 1983 hit Billie Jean finished tenth.
La Roux’s anthem Bulletproof, David Guetta’s duet with Kelly Rowland, entitled When Love Takes Over, and Lady GaGa’s hit Paparazzi round out the top five.
Meanwhile, a compilation of Jackson’s greatest hits, The Essential Collection, scooped the number one position on the British album chart.
Another Jackson collection, Number Ones, came third after La Roux’s self-titled debut.
A spokesperson for music store HMV says, "This is the first time a major star has died in the digital age so the effect on the chart is unprecedented. People have been downloading their favourite songs and sending them flying into the Top 40."

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Rap mogul JAY-Z wishes MICHAEL JACKSON had been feted more for his career achievements while he was still alive - because it could have changed the way the King of Pop lived his life.
Jackson died on 25 June (09) after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Rumours about his tragic passing have swirled ever since, with some reports suggesting a prolonged addiction to prescription painkillers could have contributed to his untimely demise.
Jackson was famed for being a recluse, rarely stepping out in public and preferring to shy away from the limelight by living his life behind closed doors.
But Jay-Z is convinced Jackson would have been more willing to embrace the public and live a less shielded life if people had shown the same admiration for him during his lifetime as they have since his death.
Paying tribute to the Thriller hitmaker at his concert in Phoenix, Arizona on Thursday (02Jul09) - one week after Jackson’s passing - Jay-Z called on fans to remember the musical genius of the late superstar as a montage of his hits was played on the video screens.
He then expressed his remorse at Jackson’s death, saying, "I believe if we let him know how much we loved him while he was here, he’d still be here." Jackson will be remembered at a special memorial ceremony at Los Angeles’ Staples Center on Tuesday (07Jul09), with hundreds of thousands of fans expected to descend upon Hollywood to pay their last respects.

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